Athletic programs successful in classroom
11:56 p.m. Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Highlighted by an all-sports graduation rate that led the Big 12 Conference, Kansas State received high marks in recent graduation data released by the NCAA.
In numbers posted by the NCAA, which uses four-class averages from 1997-2001 for computation, K-State recorded a 64-percent all-sports graduation rate to edge out Baylor (63-percent) for the top spot in the conference. In an additional category posted by the NCAA, K-State also was tied for third among Big 12 schools with a 77-percent all-sports graduation success rate (GSR) for the period.
“The posting of this data demonstrates the commitment to academic excellence by Kansas State student-athletes and reflects the expectation of academic achievement promoted by K-State coaches, staff, faculty and the administration," said Phil Hughes, Associate Athletics Director for Student Services. "The rates signify a priority for academic success and the dedication of staff and resources to our students in order to facilitate such success. This NCAA data is only one example of the department's overall determination for student-athlete development and excellence at Kansas State University.”
Kansas State also ranked first among Big 12 women’s sports, which excludes basketball and track, with an 80-percent four-class average graduation rate, while the football program’s 69-percent graduation rate ranked second among Big 12 institutions.
Aside from the most recent graduation rates posted by the NCAA, K-State had an exceptional year in the classroom in 2007-08 as approximately 250 student-athletes were named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, including 99 athletes with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average. K-State also placed 63 student-athletes on Academic All-Big 12 teams this past season.
The women’s basketball team’s grade-point average for 2007-08 ranked second among all Division I institutions and was the only BCS program in the country to be named to the WBCA Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll.
During the 2007-08 season, women’s basketball placed a school-record and Big 12 Conference-leading eight student-athletes on the Academic All-Big 12 teams and was also the only women’s basketball program in the conference to place its entire roster - 11 student-athletes - on the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
The football program reached new heights on an academic level in 2007-08 as it placed a total of 74 student-athletes on the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll, including a record number 38 in the spring. K-State’s football program was also recently recognized by Diverse magazine as at it ranked 10th nationally among all Division I football programs, and was the lone Big 12 institution in the top 10, with a 77.2-percent graduation rate among African-American student-athletes.
Volleyball, which is on pace to earn its seventh straight AVCA Team Academic Award, placed 12 of 15 team members on the commissioner’s honor roll and compiled six perfect 4.0’s on the year.
Both golf programs were also well-represented on the commissioner’s honor roll as all eight members of the women’s team were named to the list for spring, including two with a 4.0, and 70-percent of the men’s team was honored. The equestrian team placed a season-high 48 student-athletes on the fall honor roll, as did rowing with 47 in the fall, while tennis put five of eight athletes on the spring list.
Track, which recently earned the USTFCCCA Division I All-Academic Team Award, had 51 student-athletes on both the men’s and women’s squads named to the commissioner’s honor roll and also had three student-athletes earn first team academic All-America honors.
In regards to Academic Progress Rate, the NCAA released in May its latest APR data and all but one of Kansas State’s athletic teams met or exceeded the standard set by the NCAA.
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